Embracing Change and Inspiring Growth

Denise Beaupré, a best-selling author and accomplished entrepreneur, has navigated the ever-changing landscape of business and leadership by staying true to her values, and building relationships.  

From her early days in real estate, where she achieved recognition as one of the Top 100 Realtors in North America, to owning and operating a thriving car hauling business, Denise's journey has been marked by both triumphs and challenges.

Her accomplishments have garnered attention from esteemed publications like MacLean's Magazine and The Globe and Mail, highlighting her car hauling business as one of Canada's fastest-growing companies, reaching a 5-year revenue growth of 283% between 2015-2020.

With a passion for personal development and a commitment to fostering creativity and innovation within her teams, Denise has discovered the power of effective leadership and the importance of investing in people. Her most recent endeavor? A coaching and leadership consulting practice to share her wisdom and philosophy with leaders in business.

In this insightful interview, we delve into Denise's unique perspective on HR, leadership, and the evolving nature of work in today's rapidly changing world.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Tell me about your career. How did you get started, and when did you feel like you hit your stride?

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. My career began in real estate, where I was constantly exposed to motivational speakers, conventions, and training programs. Those learning opportunities helped me face my fears, step out of my comfort zone, and achieve remarkable success. I became one of the top 100 Realtors in North America, selling over $100 million worth of residential properties in a real estate market where the average house was $175,000. Interestingly, when I retired from real estate and entered the trucking industry, I realized I really missed the training and mentorship I had in real estate. This realization led me to seek out renowned speaker and mentor Bob Proctor – who I’m proud to have called a friend.

‍How did mentorship and personal development shape your leadership style?

Joining Bob Proctor's mentorship program elevated my leadership skills and introduced me to a different perspective. Instead of focusing on competition, I learned the importance of collaboration and creativity—the abundance mindset. I immediately implemented these principles in my trucking organization, exposing my staff to personal development and encouraging them to think creatively. The results were astounding, with our team securing multimillion-dollar contracts and experiencing tremendous growth. It became evident that understanding and valuing each team member's story, beliefs, and aspirations creates a strong foundation for effective leadership. To me, the key is leading by example – leaders should never stop learning, taking chances, and being creative.  

Tell me about your experience with employee recognition.

The issue I faced in my trucking business was that I had two types of workers, field workers and office workers. The workers didn’t understand each other’s responsibilities, there was a lack of respect, and I realized this was partly due to a lack of a shared communication channel. Kudos helped connect everyone.  

I had employees who were going above and beyond, and they deserved to be recognized.  

To me, one of the most prevalent causes of unhappiness at work is when employees put in that extra effort and aren’t recognized for it. That can turn into resentment – the fact that nobody sees what they’re doing.  

Kudos was also a channel for recognition. It’s not always about the money. Sometimes it’s just a matter of recognizing, acknowledging, and thanking employees publicly in front of their peers.  

And what impact did this culture of recognition have?

What we saw was incredible respect, something I had never witnessed before. Drivers were thanking office workers, being incredibly polite on the phone. Office workers were supporting drivers. I was even seeing drivers show more kindness toward each other. I got messages from customers (big manufacturers) who had noticed too. Things like, “I was at the plant this week and saw two of your drivers helping each other; I never see that.” It was terrific for the team to not only feel great receiving recognition, but also sending it. Recognizing everybody’s acts of kindness and achievements made them want to do more.

Fear is not a conducive mindset for success, and it is essential for leaders to help their teams overcome fear and operate from a place of strength.

How did the pandemic impact your business and leadership approach?

The pandemic brought financial difficulties, both personally and professionally. It disrupted the business landscape, especially trucking, and caused drastic changes and uncertainty. Unfortunately, due to the associated costs, I had to cut back on mentoring then. Regrettably, this decision hindered my progress and reminded me of the detrimental effects of fear. When I reflect on the choices I made during that time, I realize that continuing with mentorship might have yielded different outcomes. Fear is not a conducive mindset for success, and it is essential for leaders to help their teams overcome fear and operate from a place of strength.

What do you think is the biggest challenge in HR and people management today?

The current difficulties in finding suitable talent indicate a larger shift in the job market. Many traditional roles are becoming obsolete, replaced by emerging positions driven by automation and artificial intelligence. As organizations struggle to identify the right candidates, employees are unsure of where they fit in this evolving landscape. Rather than eliminating existing staff due to mismatched job titles, I believe in investing in their development, identifying their strengths, and providing training opportunities. By understanding and nurturing their talents, individuals can thrive and contribute to the organization in meaningful ways.  

The flip side is that while I believe we can all be leaders, a lot of people are put in leadership positions with no training, no guidance, and have no clue what it stands for, and therefore, teams are affected by it.  

And then you have another issue where you have some leaders that are taking advantage of their titles and abusing their power, and we're seeing a lot of that as well. What we need are authentic leaders, who understand people and want to come to work with intent and make a difference in the world.  

So, what advice would you give to a new manager?

First – get a mentor. Second – set goals. Not necessarily individual goals, but team, or departmental goals. I find many companies, corporations, smaller businesses, etc., may have a mission or a vision of where they want to go, but they're not necessarily getting participation from their staff. Shared goals are a great way to make that happen.

Next would be to get to know your staff. It's much easier to lead others when you understand that everybody has a story. Their stories are all important. Our stories dictate our belief systems, our values, what makes us happy, what makes us tick. If you can understand where everyone on your team is coming from, you can help them grow and achieve their goals.

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Thank you, Denise Beaupré, for sitting down with us and sharing your experience and knowledge!

Know an amazing HR Leader you think we should feature? Send us a note at marketing@kudos.com    

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